The extent of the field of view of a space optical instrument is limited by the laws of optics. In effect, the performance levels of an optical instrument are optimal in the direction of its optical axis (generally directed towards the nadir point) and degrade with distance away from this direction; beyond a certain angle, the quality of the image becomes insufficient. Thus, the coverage of extended regions of the Earth's surface using low orbit observation satellites can be performed only by means of multiple passes. Similar remarks apply to the case of an airborne instrument.
The document US 2001/0019361 describes a camera intended to operate with low light levels, having a central field of view and a peripheral field of view with lesser spatial resolution.